


A Trickster and his Shadow

by WriteLikeTheWind



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, ParaNorman (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Comfort, Crossover, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Post-Thor (2011), mentions of bullying, outsiders - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26413237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriteLikeTheWind/pseuds/WriteLikeTheWind
Summary: When Loki fell to earth, he wandered around the nearby town of Blithe Hollow. However, he did not expect to acquire a shadow in the form of a persistent, curious, young boy.Set after the events of Thor 1 and before the events of Paranorman
Relationships: Loki & Norman
Comments: 12
Kudos: 34





	A Trickster and his Shadow

"Are you a ghost, uh, sir?" Norman tentatively dared to ask the tall, peculiar looking man casting a shadow over him. The man's long hair, stormy frown, and unusually intricate leather coat stood out from the crowd. Especially in a town as small and old fashioned as Blithe Hollow.

"No," the stranger said in a clipped tone. Raising one eyebrow, he asked loftily, "Do I look like one?"

After a few minutes, it became clear that the stranger actually expected an answer. Hesitantly, Norman said, "Well... Yes. You do. I mean, you look pretty tired, dusty, pale and.... lost. Are you sure you're not a ghost?

"Yes. I'd think I would know if I was one," Loki said.

"I've heard that one before," Norman muttered, lower than a normal human could hear. Loki, however, heard his words clearly, even if the meaning was lost to him.

It had hurt when Loki fell. Of course, the landing hurt far more than the fall. Presently, Loki was trying to gain his bearings, and had determined that he was on Midgard. Blithe Hollow was the first town he'd stumbled across, but he hadn't planned to interact with the locals. Norman was the first to talk to him. The kid's blue eyes were open and curious, and made Loki feel fidgety under their scrutiny.

Without warning, Loki turned on his heel and resumed walking. A moment later, his shadow followed.

Loki tried not to notice how Norman took two quick steps to one of his. He didn't take note that the boy chose to walk a bit behind him, rather than crowding him. It didn't concern him. And yet... Loki slowed down a bit. Just to get this tagalong off his trail, that's all.

"Don't you have anything more interesting to do?" Loki said over his shoulder, not bothering to look back. He couldn't afford to seem interested or else he'd never lose him.

"No, sir," Norman replied while keeping up with Loki's strides, "You're the most interesting thing there is around here."

_Clever,_ Loki mused. He chose another tactic. He asked, "Don't you have... school to attend?" He was fairly certain that was what the Midgardian education system was called, last time he'd checked.

"No. It's Sunday, and anyway..." he trailed off, before continuing at a lower volume, "I don't like it there."

That last sentence caught Loki's attention, though he took care not to show it. Something about the tone, bitter and deflated, was familiar. He needed to know more. Loki inquired further, "Is your schooling giving you trouble? Your lessons?"

Norman raised his head quickly. He'd almost lost track of their conversation by drifting into thought. He answered, "N-no, it isn't. School is just fine, though some of the teachers are a bit too... too earnest, sometimes. A bit dramatic."

Norman attempted to piece together sentences, gesturing with his arms. He was too busy to notice Loki side-eyeing him, granting him more attention. Norman fumbled as he said, "It's just... Um.. There's a lot of people, at school. It can be overwhelming. And all of the kids, they... Uh, er, they don't.... They don't like me."

Norman didn't realize that the two of them had fallen into step until Loki abruptly halted. Norman stopped as well. He waited for something to happen.

Loki leaned forward and asked with intensity, "Why?"

"They say I'm weird, and different, and that I'm... I'm.... I-I don't really fit in there," Norman said, his last sentence coming out in a rush. His eyes shot down to his sneakers, which were scuffed and worn. Just like all his other clothes.

_Why did I think I could do this?_ Norman thought, _Why did I think I could just walk up to this mysterious stranger and... And do what? Convince him that I'm as weird as they say I am?_ Excerpt... Norman hadn't thought at all. He hadn't thought of actually having a conversation with the unusual newcomer. When he saw him, he'd just felt... drawn to his strange demeanor. He was curious, he wanted to know... _I thought he might be just like me,_ Norman realized. In an instant, doubt crowded out his other thoughts. _But what if he isn't? What if he's another grown-up who doesn't believe me, or thinks that I'm just trying to get attention._

At the same time, Loki was puzzling out Norman's last phrase. He was intrigued by his words, but didn't quite understand. Loki peered at Norman. The child's eyes betrayed signs of tired, sleepless nights. And his hunched posture made him seem even shorter than he was. Other than that... Loki didn't understand what made him different. He looked like any other mortal Loki had encountered. _You look just fine to me_ , was what Loki was about to say. Before he heard it. And stopped himself from making what was certain to be an awful mistake.

_You look just fine._ Hadn't someone said that to Loki before? Yes. Perhaps it was Sif or Fandral. It didn't matter. They were all behind him now. But even so, their taunts still haunted him. He heard them echoing in his mind: _Stop being so cowardly. Can't you take a joke? It's all in your head._ Right, and the frequently repeated classic - _What's wrong with you, Loki?_

Loki looked over at Norman. The kid's expression cemented Loki's theory. He recognized the strain in Norman's hesitant words, underlined with wary distrust. He now saw Norman's posture, how it practically shouted that he was drowning in self-doubt. Without thinking, Loki spoke up.

Norman's conflicting thoughts was interrupted by the sound of the tall person clearing his throat. Norman glanced up, wide eyes staring at Loki. Such open, unmistakable curiosity meeting the other's guarded, careful expression. However, Norman almost thought he saw a sliver of hesitation or worry in the man's eyes.

"They are wrong", Loki whispered with intensity, "Failing to understand you or feeling threatened by you is not an excuse to exclude you. If they seek to hurt and lessen you, you must not let them. Even when standing up can be... lonely, it is too much of a cost to you to hide for their sake. Even if you are left alone, isolated because you will not diminish yourself enough to fit in their box: You must not give in. It is not you who should change for them. They should change for you."

Loki turned away, not wanting to see the kid's reaction to his outburst. However, he heard the quiet, "Thank you, sir."

Loki replied, "You are welcome. I have... a lot of experience."

Loki looked over to the kid, wondering why he hadn't spoken up yet. He observed the kid's nervous fidgeting, an obvious sign that he wanted to say more.

"Well? Out with it," Loki said bluntly. He was not known for his patience, after all.

Norman glanced up, then explained, "Well, um, it's getting late. I should really head home, what with my parents expecting me for supper. But I'm... I'm really glad to meet you."

After a moment, Loki gave him a gentle smile, his worries pushed to the back of his mind. Perhaps staying on Earth wouldn't be so bad.

Loki insisted, "As am I. I.... I hope to see you soon."

Norman grinned widely, hope shining in his eyes. He squeaked out, "See you later," before starting to walk to his house. Loki watched his shadow go, then left.

The sun was dipping lower by the minute, painting the small town in shades of orange and gold. Norman looked around at all the people walking by, wondering how they could possibly miss the mysterious person he'd talked with. _I guess people just don't look up enough_ , Norman thought, _caught up in their own lives, they don't see the fascinating stories that others contain._ And, just before turning a corner, Norman couldn't resist looking back one more time. The stranger was completely gone, with no sign that he'd been there at all. Norman let it go, and continued home. _That's a mystery to solve another day._

**Author's Note:**

> This is just the beginning!!
> 
> If you can't tell, I love crossovers! And brainstorming how characters would interact with each other. These two could really use a friend. More chapters to come!


End file.
